From the NAW Blog
One of the most valuable resources distributors have is their data. Data can reveal what your customers are likely to buy, what growth opportunities you’re missing out on and where you can cut costs. Distributors with the right data can meet customer needs and dominate competitors. But acquiring and handling data properly is no easy task.
Buckeye Fasteners and its affiliated companies have a new mobile app that will give users direct access to five manufacturing plants in North East Ohio:
You can use it to request a quote and can include your agent if you have one. The app will be useful in the field or in your office.
S.W. Anderson Company, a specialty and class C component distributor, has acquired OEM Fastening Systems, a specialty fastener distributor in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
"We're excited to welcome the OEM Fastening Systems employees to the S.W. Anderson family" stated Jim Degnan, president of S.W. Anderson. "OEM's reputation in the southeast U.S. as a customer-focused product expert aligns closely with S.W. Anderson's value proposition. We look forward to working with our new team members to extend our products and services to OEM’s customer base. "
Buckeye Fasteners Company continues to expand their product lines by adding many new items to their catalog. With the addition of headed concrete anchors, shear connectors and the expansion of their CD and Arc stud lines, Buckeye positions themselves to better serve their customers. Buckeye is also offering CD and Arc stud equipment and accessories to support these recently added items. Buckeye is now carrying hex flange weld nuts in both the Ford and GM specifications which are available for immediate shipment and delivery. Strux® nuts, square pierce nuts, flat head carriage bolts, nylon insert locknuts (in both the flanged nut and wing nut variations) have also been added to their ever-growing product offerings.
Check out all of Buckeye’s products on their website www.buckeyefasteners.com
From the NAW Blog
It’s no secret that contracts are a great way to secure valuable business for distributors. For many companies, they account for a significant portion of annual revenue and are critical in bringing in key customers. Unfortunately, if they are not managed carefully, contracts can become an area of business where profit leaks or slips through the cracks.
From the NAW Blog
If you’re considering analytics as a means to drive profitable growth in 2021, you’re on the right track. The distribution industry is facing an uncertain market, digital acceleration and a changed landscape. Analytics can help distributors make data-driven decisions to stay on course and be successful.
From the NAW Blog
When was the last time you saw an ad for FedEx? Yet their brand remains synonymous with fast shipping. As Peter Drucker says, “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself.”
Beacon Fasteners and Components is thrilled to announce the launch of its new website! The redesigned website features a customer account dashboard, easy to navigate product catalog and shopping cart to request a quote. The updated content pages provide valuable information on product, inventory solutions and company culture.
“After months of hard work from the Beacon team and our partners at INxSQL, we are excited to debut our new site and showcase all its new features,” commented Kameron Dorsey, national sales manager. “Our goal was to create a more user-friendly design across all devices so our customers could quickly access product and order information.”
From NAW
Virtually every distributor I encounter understands that mastering data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) is essential if distributors are to survive and thrive in the digital age. However, very few leaders have a comprehensive game plan for turning their company into a data-driven business.
From NAW
The COVID Effect on Purchasing
From NAW
In my last post for the NAW Blog Distributing Ideas, I talked about the importance of having an effective board structure as a foundational element of a sustainable competitive advantage, whether your business is public or private. It’s a rare thing, however, and a great one in a distribution company is an exception.
From NAW
Leading technology companies are offering customers new ways of ordering — by voice or product image. In addition, leading distributors and retailers are using AI-enabled business intelligence to understand their customer needs better, and they are applying autonomous vehicles, including drones, for deliveries. How important is all of this technology capability to your customers?
NAW is pleased to introduce the new NAW Podcast Series: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, sponsored by PROS.
In our first episode, “An Introduction to the Innovate to Dominate Podcast Series,” you’ll learn about INNOVATE TO DOMINATE and what it means for you in the context of COVID-19. Watch or listen to this podcast – Check it out!
Würth Industry North America (WINA), a leading industrial distributor of supply chain solutions for fasteners, MRO and safety equipment, announced March 31, 2020 that it has signed a national agreement with Markforged, the leading provider of industrial metal and carbon fiber 3D printers. The agreement will better serve the needs of Würth Industry's customers in the general manufacturing market, as well as oil & gas, heavy equipment, and transportation.
"We are thrilled to bring innovative digital supply chain solutions to our customers," said Dan Hill, Chief Executive Officer for Würth Industry North America. "By integrating Markforged 3D Printing technology with our existing kanban programs, we are able to offer quicker time to market and lower inventory costs. We're able to cut out the sourcing, purchasing, and transportation costs and deliver the value directly to the customer."
Midland Industries, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is excited to announce the opening of its newest distribution center, located at 5544 Armour Dr. Houston, TX 77020. This facility will stock a complete line of industrial, plumbing, waterworks, and irrigation products including, brass fittings, valves, malleable fittings, steel nipples, ductile iron gate and check valves, lead-free brass fittings, bronze fittings, brass nipples, stainless steel fittings and nipples, and much more. In addition to providing faster deliveries to our customers in the South, this facility features a will-call area supporting customers in the Houston area that wish to pick up. As we continue to grow, we are eager to serve our ever-expanding customer base in this region.
From the NAW Blog
Each of your customers brings value to your business. Some already provide a considerably high value that your business relies on, while others have significant potential that you haven’t fully tapped. Then there are the customers who cost more to serve than they provide in value. The question is: Do you know which customer is which? And are you adjusting your approach accordingly?
From the NAW Blog
Many distributors have been doing things the same way for years. In some cases, what worked then still works now. Yet, part of preparing for the future is preparing for the unexpected — whether that is economic volatility or other industry disruption, such as the Coronavirus.
From the NAW Blog
Digital marketplaces were a major theme at the recent NAW Executive Summit, and for good reason; B2B marketplaces are predicted to be a $3.6 trillion boon for distributors in the next few years. This new opportunity is certainly good for distributors, but it does make action even harder. How can AI, e-commerce and marketplaces all be multi-trillion dollar opportunities? Further, which one should distributors pursue first?
